BillyRValentine
Capricorn
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2005
It is a fact that this community is dwindling despite what some may think and I do believe that the internet has inflated some issues while it has helped resolve others. The fact that it lends itself to anonymous communication in which folks can simply toss anything out there without fear of being truly called to task on it has run some off, isolated others and generally allowed those that would otherwise not act this way in person to constantly pour fuel onto different fires.
The strong may survive but not if they are Buick specific shops. The fact of the matter is that stock parts are getting much more difficult to find. (People such as myself hoard them in large amounts for those reasons.) The aftermarket is not what it used to be and there are many who have seen the writing on the wall, not just me.
People are selling their cars or swapping motors at the very least. The LSX, modular and import technology is consistently moving forward and although it happens at a rather slow rate the fact is that every year a few more have left and more often than not there is a huge sigh of relief in doing so. The sad part is that it is not just because they didn't want the heartache of the car anymore but they also didn't want the headache of the BS associated with the online community. I bet you take a look at web traffic over the last couple of years and will find that is has slowed.
The fact of the matter is that it takes more money and effort to make these cars run with some of the newer performance based cars and people used to like learning from one another. Now there is always some beef with this group or that group. There are several people that I absolutely loath and have watched perpetuate more and more of the same year after year. It is like hearing the same music with different lyrics. Eventually someone is going to take issue with a vendor at one point or another but I have seen some here and on other TB sites trash not only their business but them personally, their families and the like. I have not found one issue since I have been involved with turbo Buicks that could not be resolved with a vendor by picking up the phone.
This just may be my opinion and some may find it off in left field which is fine but as each individual leaves another small part of the community leaves with them. Some say - "So what, another will follow by purchasing the car". This is not always the case as I know of several that have sold theirs and the cars are either taken to shows every once in a while or just sit in a garage with several other garage queens. Very rarely are they on the road and never at the track.
Jim C.
The strong may survive but not if they are Buick specific shops. The fact of the matter is that stock parts are getting much more difficult to find. (People such as myself hoard them in large amounts for those reasons.) The aftermarket is not what it used to be and there are many who have seen the writing on the wall, not just me.
People are selling their cars or swapping motors at the very least. The LSX, modular and import technology is consistently moving forward and although it happens at a rather slow rate the fact is that every year a few more have left and more often than not there is a huge sigh of relief in doing so. The sad part is that it is not just because they didn't want the heartache of the car anymore but they also didn't want the headache of the BS associated with the online community. I bet you take a look at web traffic over the last couple of years and will find that is has slowed.
The fact of the matter is that it takes more money and effort to make these cars run with some of the newer performance based cars and people used to like learning from one another. Now there is always some beef with this group or that group. There are several people that I absolutely loath and have watched perpetuate more and more of the same year after year. It is like hearing the same music with different lyrics. Eventually someone is going to take issue with a vendor at one point or another but I have seen some here and on other TB sites trash not only their business but them personally, their families and the like. I have not found one issue since I have been involved with turbo Buicks that could not be resolved with a vendor by picking up the phone.
This just may be my opinion and some may find it off in left field which is fine but as each individual leaves another small part of the community leaves with them. Some say - "So what, another will follow by purchasing the car". This is not always the case as I know of several that have sold theirs and the cars are either taken to shows every once in a while or just sit in a garage with several other garage queens. Very rarely are they on the road and never at the track.
Jim C.
